I’ve never read any books by this author and was expecting a romance so I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a murder mystery with a romantic thread.
Nia left her hometown, Cinnamon Falls, after one of her best friends apparently committed suicide.
She has a good job in the city but finds out that her live in boyfriend of two years is married. She is devastated when she finds out and decides to return to her home town so she can think about what she wants to do with her life.
She arrives home as the Fall Fest is about to be celebrated and meets up with her old high school boyfriend, Jesse, who now works for the town’s Police. There is a murder in town of a prominent figure and Nia is soon involved in helping Jesse solve the crime as well as others that happen.

R. L. Killmore’s A Cinnamon Falls Mystery is a charming and suspenseful cosy crime novel that perfectly balances small-town charm with edge-of-your-seat tension. Set in the picturesque town of Cinnamon Falls, the story follows Nia, a young woman returning home after a humiliating breakup, only to find herself swept up in a series of murders just before the town’s annual Fall Fest. With a serial killer on the loose, quirky townspeople at every turn, and a slow-burn romance with her high school ex, Jesse, the novel blends mystery, romance, and small-town nostalgia seamlessly.

Killmore’s strength lies in her ability to populate Cinnamon Falls with vivid, engaging characters who feel like old friends. Nia is relatable and determined, her amateur sleuthing both clever and endearing. The interplay between her and Jesse adds emotional depth to the narrative, creating a second-chance romance that complements the murder mystery without overshadowing it. The plot moves at a satisfying pace, with suspenseful twists and turns that keep readers guessing, while the small-town setting adds warmth and charm, making it as cozy as it is thrilling.

Fans of Gilmore Girls, Pretty Little Liars, and the Dream Harbor series will delight in this combination of cozy vibes, quirky characters, and high-stakes suspense. A Cinnamon Falls Mystery is a perfect autumnal read for those who enjoy a sweet, clever, and slightly spooky mystery with a romantic heartbeat.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A cozy, captivating mystery that balances heart, humor, and suspense beautifully.

A Cinnamon Falls Mystery is the literary equivalent of a warm mug of spiced cider - sweet, comforting, and just a little sharp when you least expect it. Set against a backdrop of crunchy leaves, cinnamon rolls, and small-town secrets, this cozy mystery offers a gentle blend of nostalgia, suspense, and second chances.

After a painful breakup and a six-year absence, Nia returns to Cinnamon Falls hoping to lay low and lick her wounds. But her quiet hometown has other plans. When Rosie, the beloved diner owner, is found murdered, Nia is drawn into the mystery, especially with the ominous note left behind: Who will be next?

Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, fall festivals, and lighthearted mysteries that don’t shy away from heart. I’ll definitely be back for the next visit to Cinnamon Falls!

This was just the right amount of romance, with the murder mystery to solve and a good look at the characters that inhabit small town life. The book really showed what happens and what people exist in towns with one ice cream parlour, one bar and individuals that stand out for the job that they do rather than the person that they are. Jesse is a cop now and trying to make it work when Nia come back into town after heartbreak in the city. They dance around each other looking into the past when they were together and unpick their friendship group, what it meant to grow up on small town America and learn to work out how to move things forward when it might be against the tide,

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'A Cinnamon Falls Msystery'.

A cosy small town story, with the added mystery element! Loved it.

I'm not the biggest lover of second chance romances though and that's the main reason that I've docked it a star. For a debut novel I think it's really good, I did find it a little difficult to make a connection with the FMC. But on the hole it delivered on the cozy autumn vibes.

Small town, mystery, autumn vibes and romance. How could I ever resist this book?.

I warmed to Nia straight away, after a devastating betrayal she packs up everything she owns and escapes back to her hometown of Cinnamon Falls.

The book was SO good! Even better than I was expecting.

The first in a new cosy mystery series sees Nia returning to her hometown of Cinnamon Falls for the first time in many years. She soon meets up with best friend Morgan and ex boyfriend Jesse, and slips back into her role at her parents' ice cream parlour. When local favourite Rosie is murdered, can Nia, Morgan and Jesse solve the crime?

I really liked Nia and Morgan's relationship, it was very open and honest. I also loved Midnight the cat! The writing was well paced, and easy to read, and I liked how the author interwove past and current crimes within the story. I look forward to book two.

I haven’t read a cosy murder book before and this has put me off reading another. I kept hoping the book was going to get better but it never did. I wasn’t a fan of the characters or the writing style and found myself not caring at all what happened in the end.

DNF- sadly I just couldn’t get into this book. I had a really hard time connecting with the FMC Nia and had to put it down. I didn’t feel like trying to force myself to try and enjoy the book. I may pick it up again at a later time but it just wasn’t for me.

A Cinnamon Falls Mystery. Is a small town, cosy mystery, with a hearty helping of second-chance romance added in

Nia, is returning home from her promising career in the big city, with her tale between her legs, after discovery the man she was imagining spending the rest of her life with, is very much already married.

Home for Nia is the close-knit, tightly bonded, town of Cinnamon Falls, where everyone knows everyone. However, shortly after Nia arrives, one of her good friends, and a beloved member of the community, is found murdered and Nia wants to know who toon her friend away so brutally. Much to the annoyance of Jesse.

Jess is a member of the Cinnamon Falls PD and not only is he not so keen on Nia'a involvement, but he also happens to be her ex. The man she left so she could make her mark in the city.

All in all A Cinnamon Falls Mystery was a pleasant read, a good pallette cleanser from the detail heavy fantasies so many of us enjoy, but need a break from occasionally. With some further work on the characters, I could see this becoming a cosy mystery series.

I did find it difficult to warm to Nia, who I found to be irksome in her annoying way of completely disregarding warning signs, and displayed a lack of common sense.

Jesse on the other hand was well-rounded, golden retriever level cute and his chapters seemed to add a lot more to the plot.

I give thos read a comfy 3.75 ⭐️'s

When you discover your boyfriend of two years has actually been married for four, what do you do? If you're Nia Bennett, you head for the home town you were determined never return to only six years earlier. Getting on the bus and hoping it'll all be fine, even with the memories already crowding your mind, is preferable to staying anywhere near the train wreck your life has become. Cinnamon Falls is getting ready for their fall festival. The decorations are up, and excitement is high, but before Nia has finished unpacking, a body is discovered with links to a killing six years earlier. Her first love, Jesse Shaw, is now a cop and along with him and other residents she hasn't seen for years Nia finds herself investigating as it appears her small town is home to a serial killer!
I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Simon and Schuster UK, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. There is a lot going on here, enough, in fact, to spread over two books, which maybe why it is longer than most cosy mysteries with a lot of new locations and characters to get to know. The two main protagonists are easy to like and their story, although familiar in many ways, adds a tenderness to this murder mystery. The first in a new series, I will be on the lookout for the next book in 2026 as it's definitely worth a second chance.

This appears to be the author's debut novel and it is a bit rough around the edges. It's still an enjoyable read, but there are some 'holes'.

Nia returns to her hometown, after six years away, when she finds out her boyfriend is actually married. Almost as soon as she sees her high school sweetheart, someone in the town is murdered and she starts sleuthing.

The series looks set to be of the same ilk as The Cinnamon Bun Book Store with a bit of Murder She Wrote thrown in.

Billed as a cosy murder mystery with a romance twist, A Cinnamon Falls Mystery immediately caught my attention. I was curious to see how those two genres would be balanced, but unfortunately I don’t think it fully worked for me. For some reason, I found the central character, Nia, difficult to warm to, and because of that I struggled to invest in her romantic journey. Jesse, on the other hand, was far easier to like. His chapters flowed better for me, and I found myself looking forward to the parts told from his perspective.

The mystery itself was believable, though it leaned towards the predictable side. That said, it still had enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages. One thing the book did capture very well was the cosy, autumnal atmosphere. The seasonal charm came through strongly in the early chapters, and I enjoyed picturing the small-town setting in all its pumpkin-spiced glory. After a while, though, the seasonal touches started to feel a bit forced, as if they were being sprinkled in to remind the reader rather than woven naturally into the story.

Overall, this was a pleasant enough read and a decent pick if you’re after an easy-going, small-town mystery with low-stakes romance. It’s the kind of book you could comfortably curl up with on an autumn afternoon and breeze through without too much heavy thinking.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Really enjoyed this book! Gave off cosy, autumnal vibes set in the sleepy small town of Cinnamon Falls. If Hallmark did murder mysteries- this would be it! Nice, gentle read with a enough suspense to keep you reading. Normally enjoy small-town romance novels as a bit of a break between heavier reads but enjoyed having the additional 'lighthearted' murder to add some more depth- all be it quite predictable. First time reading R. L. Kilmore and look forward to reading more of her work.

Humiliated and heartbroken, Nia leaves the city and returns home to Cinnamon Falls, for the first time since her abrupt departure 6 years beforehand. The town make a shocking discovery- Rosie, the much loved diner owner has been murdered! Nia is determined to discover who killed her friend's Mum, despite warnings from the local police, and childhood sweetheart, Jesse to let the professionals do their job.

Will Nia manage to solve the mystery surrounding Rosie's death? Will her family and friends forgive her for her sudden departure? Can Nia and Jesse overcome their past and give romance a second chance?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a cosy, comforting read with just the right amount of mystery to keep me turning the pages. I loved the small-town setting and the warm, familiar feel of the community. The writing really brought it all to life without overdoing it.

It delivered exactly what I wanted: second chance romance, a slow burn connection, and an amateur sleuth storyline that didn’t take itself too seriously. It’s giving autumn evenings, cinnamon buns, and just enough drama, mystery and crime to keep things moving.

R. L. Killmore invites us to Cinnamon Falls, a cozy small town brimming with autumn vibes, quirky locals, and more secrets than leaves on the ground. After a city-sized heartbreak, Nia returns home hoping for comfort and quiet—but instead finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation when a body is discovered at the local diner. The note left behind—“Who will be next?”—adds just the right amount of chill to the crisp Fall Fest air.

Between pumpkin carving, awkward reunions with her ex Jesse (who’s tall, dark, and undeniably broody), and piecing together clues with the town’s eclectic crew, Nia transforms from sulky escapee to amateur sleuth—and maybe even rediscovering love along the way.

This story feels like slipping into your coziest jumper: it’s funny, heartfelt, and just dark enough to keep things interesting. Killmore has a gift for building warm atmospheres even when the stakes get murderously high, and readers who love Gilmore Girls-style charm mixed with Pretty Little Liars tension will feel right at home.

A perfect autumn read with just the right amount of sugar, spice, and suspense.

I'm clearly on a fall kick at the moment, and A Cinnamon Falls Mystery didn't disappoint! The cute, small town vibes were very strong in this one - I could practically smell the cinnamon while reading it, and if I wasn't craving autumn treats before, I really am now!

My last fall-themed small town book was a straight up romance, but what I really enjoyed in this one was the addition of a murder mystery.

We've got the classic storyline of a woman who returns to her hometown after a bad break up, to find her ex is now an officer. The tension is immediately there, but it gets stronger after she's forced to work with him when the owner of the diner, someone they are both very close to, is found brutally murdered.

I love a good "lighthearted" TV murder - that sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?! But you know the kind I mean: Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Madame Blanc Mysteries. And this fits the bill perfectly for me. A little bit of romance alongside a good mystery, plus a cosy atmosphere - just what you need for a good night in, in my opinion!

The only issue I had with this book was the recklessness of Nia, the main character - she kept ending up in situations that were either dangerous or stupid, for example, sneaking onto crime scenes because she wanted to know more. Maybe that's just my personality (always a stickler for the rules!), but it didn't gel with me and felt like it was there to drive the plot forward in places.

The cast of characters was fantastic - especially Midnight, the cat, always an excellent addition, I say! There are more books to be set in this small town and I'm excited to see more of the eclectic characters and their stories.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.

perfect for fans of Gilmore Girl and Pretty Little Liars had me going from the start. imagine a book with a mix of those two? what a time!? so i was sold from there and it set up my feelings around this book perfectly. definitely a cosy mystery with added zest. all the side and cast of characters added there own unique parts to the book and i enjoyed getting to know them.
the cinnamon book title and autumn feel to the book gave me that extra cosiness for this read.
we get taken to a wonderful close knit community in this murder mystery and im not sure i was meant to feel so good reading a 'murder' but i did, i couldn't help it, blame the author for her delicious scene setting and characters.
who comes to solve the mystery is Nia. she is back in town after leaving the mess she made of her life in the big city. she is back to mope in peace. with the town preparing for the festival she thinks this is the perfect distraction and place to heal.
but then the owner of the diner turns up dead. and with a note attached to her.
so NIa along with her old friend Jesse take on the role of solvers. but there is more between these two than investigators and that is becoming strikingly clear to us readers, is it to them too? it'll be fine right, she new him one, but shes over him now. that was high school. all is fine. who is she kidding? NOT US!
If this is the first in a new series then i am all here for it. Kilmore has a lovely writing style. it all flowed and pieced together just how a book like this should. and the characters really brought me in the world created before me.

A cozy sweet-smelling town full of quirky characters has their peace disrupted by a serial killer. Nia has just returned to town after a bad break up and sparks are flying with the man she left behind. Such a gripping story - a murder mystery worthy of Miss Marple! Complemented with just a dash of romance makes this a perfect read to curl up and lose yourself in an idyllic small town (apart from the murders!) You’ll be craving a cinnamon bun or ice cream too – I definitely was!

A Cinnamon Falls Mystery was a truly cosy murder mystery. R. L. Killmore did a great job with the setting, Cinnamon Falls felt very real to me and I'd love a milkshake at Cinnamon Scoop! The characters were all quirky and engaging, I can't wait to read more from them. I would say the big reveal felt a bit rushed and frantic, however overall I really enjoyed the story